A Tour Of The Generation-Y Office
Working a 9 to 5 has been dreaded by our generation for years. I remember going through high school thinking to myself that I could never succumb to sitting behind a desk and working on a computer for hours on end, but look at me now. Sure, I may be sitting on a comfy couch in front of a 90-inch TV at the Elite Daily headquarters, but it is still an office.
Yes, I will probably go to the gym downstairs, or maybe the sauna in the backyard after work, or better yet, just chill out and get some sun on our rooftop deck. But it’s okay, this is what working in an office has become for our generation. Of course, not everyone works at a tech company and walks through the door to see artwork worth more than their cars, but generally speaking, the office workplace and office culture have taken a drastic change for the better in recent years.
The change in office life can be seen throughout the design and layout of the offices, to the structure of the interaction between employees and the perks offices provide, and even to what is expected of employees. All of this is a result of the crossover of mentality of upper management, or rather, from the new management itself. Generation-Y has influenced the business world in more positive ways than any generation before it. We give more importance to the individual employee and the consumer and less to the bottom line.
We emphasize the importance of individuality and creativity and reward those that deserve recognition for their efforts. The business world is no longer as stingy as it used to be and this is all reflected in offices themselves. The best part is that the world has never seen such profits prior.
Cubicles are a thing of the past. We no longer feel a need to cage up our employees and restrict their interaction with others. We admire open space and understand that open environments with few restrictions breed the best results. We understand that creativity is key to innovation, and innovation is key to success and the profits that we wish to see.
We encourage employees to interact with each other, bouncing ideas off of one another, and in the end, reaching the best possible solution. We are creating an environment where people are respected and regarded as an important part of the team rather than a replaceable piece of a larger machine.
Once upon a time, we could care less about the happiness of our employees; if they were unhappy and quit, they would be replaced. Now we understand that keeping your employees happy is the key to a successful business. The fact is that a happy employee is a productive employee. There is no better strategy to maximizing efficiency than keeping a person happy -- the happier Steve is, the happier he will be to work, and the more he will want to make sure he does his best in order to stay a part of your company.
The less stressed he will be, the more willing he will be to put in that extra effort that makes all the difference. Those that want to work hard and are driven to want to make something of themselves, which I believe to be the epitome of Generation-Y, will do so as long as they are being taken care of. Those that are lazy will be lazy no matter what. Creating an environment focused on the employee will help the entrepreneur weed out those that are of little use, making room for fresh blood, hungry for success. The prospect of continued happiness is a strong motivator.
Nevertheless, there are companies remaining that refuse to be a part of this modern movement and are doing their best to hold onto their dictatorial, hierarchical business structure. But it’s okay. They won’t last. Word is getting out of how well certain companies are treating their employees and how much these people enjoy working for their companies. Not even an idiot would willingly choose to work for a company that continues to have their offices structured in boxed off cubicles, minimizing employee interaction and a company that rules their staff with an iron fist. Fewer and fewer people will be applying for such jobs in the upcoming decades, and the transformation of the 9 to 5 job will be one for the history books.
We have started a movement -- a workplace revolution. We are bettering the lives of not only our customers, but also our employees alike. We are raising the standard of living and raising the bar along with it. We are creating a working environment where the employee matters and is respected. We are making our appreciation known by rewarding those that help the company progress in the right direction.
We no longer feel a need to be stingy, but rather share profits with the team knowing that such thanks will be appreciated and will reflect in the work done in upcoming quarters. For decades, many working in offices were basically forced to make their cubicle their second home.
Nowadays, Generation-Yers are more than happy to hang around the office and stay that extra two or three hours to perfect their projects. To be quite honest with you, most of these new age offices are much nicer than the apartments we live in ourselves. Sure, we could go home. Or… or we can stay at the office with our fellow employees and friends and play some FIFA on the Xbox.
Photo courtesy Swipe Life
